Chris Wilson says the Kaikōura District Council needs to consider more than one option when planning its future viability. Homeowners in Clarence and Kēkerengū began petitioning to split from the Kaikōura District Council last month after a new report warned the region's 3000 ratepayers would struggle to pay off damage from the 2016 earthquake. East Coast Community Organisation secretary Chris Wilson said residents were looking at asking the commission to amalgamate Kaikōura back into the Marlborough district. Mr Wilson and Kaikōura district councillor Derrick Millton, a Clarence resident, renewed efforts to have homes north of Ohau Point rezoned as Marlborough after concerns the district was not and would never become sustainable. Mr Millton said the council's decision to not include amalgamation or a boundary change as part of its sustainability review prompted residents to consider other ways forward.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 08, 2019 20:26 UTC